The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant, botanically known as Chrysanthemumxc3x97morifolium and hereinafter referred to by the name xe2x80x98Apricot Cheriexe2x80x99.
The new Chrysanthemum was discovered as a naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of the Chrysanthemum cultivar Yellow Cherie, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,713.
The new Chrysanthemum was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within a population of plants of the parent cultivar in 1996 in a greenhouse in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada. The selection of this plant was based on its unique ray floret color.
Asexual reproduction of the new Chrysanthemum by vegetative tip cuttings was first conducted in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada in 1996. Asexual reproduction by cuttings has shown that the unique features of this new Chrysanthemum are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.
The cultivar Apricot Cherie has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength, and/or light level, without, however, any variance in genotype.
The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of xe2x80x98Apricot Cheriexe2x80x99. These characteristics in combination distinguish xe2x80x98Apricot Cheriexe2x80x99 as a new and distinct Chrysanthemum:
1. Uniform, rounded and outwardly spreading plant habit.
2. Freely branching growth habit.
3. Small dark green foliage.
4. Uniform flowering response.
5. Typically grown as a spray-type.
6. Early flowering, eight-week response time.
7. Freely flowering habit.
8. Small daisy-type inflorescences that are about 3.7 cm in diameter.
9. Soft pink-colored ray and bright yellow-colored disc florets.
Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be compared to plants of the parent cultivar, Yellow Cherie. In side-by-side comparisons conducted by the Inventor in Salinas, Calif., plants of the new Chrysanthemum differ from plants of the cultivar Yellow Cherie in the following characteristics:
1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum are much larger than plants of the cultivar Yellow Cherie.
2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have soft pink-colored ray florets whereas plants of the cultivar Yellow Cherie have yellow-colored ray florets.
Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be compared to plants of the Chrysanthemum cultivar Bronze Cherie, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,702. In side-by-side comparisons conducted by the Inventor in Salinas, Calif., plants of the new Chrysanthemum differ from plants of the cultivar Bronze Cherie in the following characteristics:
1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum are slightly larger than plants of the cultivar Bronze Cherie.
2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have soft pink-colored ray florets whereas plants of the cultivar Bronze Cherie have soft bronze-colored ray florets.